by Debbie White
With only a few weeks to go until our second child’s Naming Ceremony,
the memories of our daughter’s, nearly 3 years ago, seems even more
special.
We always wanted something individual, to us, to celebrate our first child
entering this world and her first rite of passage. After shunning a church
wedding 16 years ago a Christening was never an option.
We never thought about it at the time as it seemed natural to have a Naming
Ceremony, but for us in some ways it was more than a Naming Ceremony for Amelia
it was our first real public declaration of our beliefs. Of course many family
and friends already knew and many felt the same way, but to invite 120 friends,
family and work colleagues to share our day with us seemed to become more
important as the day grew closer.
As everybody started to arrive, the sky opened, as if to match Amelia’s
love of water and her strong ascendant sign, Pisces.
Personally, I love the rain, especially during a hot summer, but a few of
the guests, unsure of the day ahead seemed apprehensive.
Human’s, by nature, rarely seem to embrace something new, rather worry
and use jibes and jokes to cover their wariness, but as Bobcat began the rite,
the rain stopped and curiosity overcame suspicion. The guests, as if drawn
by the growing magic of watching Bobcat cast the circle, gathered around a
circle marked by flowers.
‘As our circle is woven and consecrated, this moment in time and this
place becomes blessed. Let each soul truly be here that the spirits of those
gathered may be blended in one scared space, with one purpose and one voice.’
As the spirits of the 3 worlds were called the fidgeting died down and a
calm ensued over the ceremony.
Once the circle had been completed and the spirits welcomed, it was time
to honour the ancestors, those still with us, and those recently departed
and of old.
It is not until a couple start a family of their own do I truly believe you
can appreciate what your parents, your grandparents and anyone who has brought
a child into this world has gone through.
We felt we needed to give a small token to the family members still with
us and thanks to the spirits of the family gone but still in our thoughts.
Whether, in life, our paths crossed infrequently, as it is so often is the
case in this modern world, our family and the invisible threads that hold
us together on this fragile web is what makes us who we are.
And as we honoured this connection, a beautiful crow flew over the circle
and caw-ed, reminding me of my Grandmother beliefs that she would become a
crow when she died and in that moment of true magic I was sure her spirit
had joined us.
Having been married 14 years, Andi and I decided that the change in our relationship
that only a child can bestow on a couple needed marking, so we again vowed
to each other our love, loyalty and commitment.Amelia, our daughter, then
entered the circle for her first rite of passage. We had chosen 3 guardians
to support Amelia thorough her life, each one chosen for their personality
and the gifts they could bring to her, such as love, guidance, confidence,
laughter and trust.
‘According to the Old traditions within this Rite is made, we do not
offer the journey of this child’s life to one deity, nor do we bind
her to one path, religious or mundane. Instead, our role is to simply honour
and give thanks that she has come into our lives.’
After vows and gifts were exchanged it was time for us, as parents, to guide
Amelia around the circle with Bobcat to honour the power of nature within
us and around us.
At each direction we called a greeting to the spirits of that quarter and
asked for a blessing on behalf of Amelia.
‘Spirits of the South, powers of summer, pride of stage, fire wit of
fox, dragons of the land, spirits of the dancing flame, you who teach us courage
and the power of the truth. Lord of the Greenwood, bless this child with your
gifts; strength, vitality, clear vision, passion, the courage to be who she
can truly be.’
At each direction we had an object as a symbol of our intention, a representation
of the elements, a gift to the Spirits and in turn a gift to Amelia. A crystal
given to me by Andi’s late Grandmother, a bowl of water from the village
sacred spring, a candle, a hawks feather and in addition, Po, a Tellytubby.
Each of us has something that helps us through life, be it a lucky charm,
religion, a vice, but at 5 months old, the centre of Amelia’s world
was a Tellytubby, so Amelia was blessed with the ‘sacred Po’.
Amelia was then named and welcomed in front of her family, her friends, her
ancestors and invited spirits.
‘Blessed by the powers of creation, this child begins the journey of
life, and for her path she is offered a name. As she grows and chooses her
own way she may accept or take another name for herself, but she is yet at
the beginning of her journey. There is power in a name. It is an invocation
and a prayer, a gift that is given with poignancy and emotion’.
Mead and cake was handed round to all those present, blessed and given in
thanks to the earth. A toast was given by Amelia’s Grandfather to welcome
her with open hearts into our lives.
As Bobcat thanked all those who attended, those in body and those in spirit,
the circle was as carefully unwoven as it was woven in the beginning, and
slowly as the energy disbursed so did the guests. At that moment a gorgeous
butterfly landed on one of the flowers marking the circle as if to acknowledge
that the sacred place, once created, had now ebbed away.
As a PS : here is a picture of the naming rite of our second child, Alex ...
